Water Infection??

Hello,
Please would someone be able to give me a bit of advice?

I have a rabbit (Dave) about 3years old now. He recently had flystrike, luckily we got him to a vets just in time, and there was one maggot and a few eggs but the vets cleared him up and he seems ok now- no messy bum or eggs/maggots. the vets did say he was over weight and that was the cause so i've now changed his nuggets to a 'lite' version.

The thing is he went off his food before I took him to the vets and she told me it may just be from the discomfort but to keep an eye on him and if he doesnt eat to come back in. Well he seems happier and is still running around but still not eating or drinking, so took him back and they said its water infection.

Ive been giving him antibiotics through a syringe (2x daily 1ml of antibiotics + 1ml of juice which is easier said then done) and hes picking up a bit, eating bits of hay, drinking water eating spinach leaves, still no where near as much as he used to but he is slowely picking up. But he won't even touch the nuggets and I don't know now if its just a case of him being stuborn and not wanting the 'lite' version or if this is still a water infection???

Ive given him his treats after each attack of the syringe which he gobbles them up like normal and he's munching through cardboard and again back at the wallpaper and skirting boards like theres no tomorrow.

I would really appreciate some advice, its been a week today that he went off his food although only 3rd day on antibiotics. Is it a case of water infection or could this be a more serious consequence of the fly strike? I'm really struggling to get the syringe in his mouth and I can't hide it on his food because he won't eat it all!!

thank u in advance!!!

Chrissy said:

Hello,
Please would someone be able to give me a bit of advice?

I have a rabbit (Dave) about 3years old now. He recently had flystrike, luckily we got him to a vets just in time, and there was one maggot and a few eggs but the vets cleared him up and he seems ok now- no messy bum or eggs/maggots. the vets did say he was over weight and that was the cause so i've now changed his nuggets to a 'lite' version.

The thing is he went off his food before I took him to the vets and she told me it may just be from the discomfort but to keep an eye on him and if he doesnt eat to come back in. Well he seems happier and is still running around but still not eating or drinking, so took him back and they said its water infection.

Ive been giving him antibiotics through a syringe (2x daily 1ml of antibiotics + 1ml of juice which is easier said then done) and hes picking up a bit, eating bits of hay, drinking water eating spinach leaves, still no where near as much as he used to but he is slowely picking up. But he won't even touch the nuggets and I don't know now if its just a case of him being stuborn and not wanting the 'lite' version or if this is still a water infection???

Ive given him his treats after each attack of the syringe which he gobbles them up like normal and he's munching through cardboard and again back at the wallpaper and skirting boards like theres no tomorrow.

I would really appreciate some advice, its been a week today that he went off his food although only 3rd day on antibiotics. Is it a case of water infection or could this be a more serious consequence of the fly strike? I'm really struggling to get the syringe in his mouth and I can't hide it on his food because he won't eat it all!!

thank u in advance!!!

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Hi, personally if your buns is still off his food then I would want him seen tonight by an emergency vet. Unless you can keep him eating through the night? Is he doing droppings? is he eating anything at all? Usually the main reasons a bun goes off their food is pain and/or stress. I would suggest your bun needs another thorough examination - to check for any more fly eggs, fly strike damage (especially internally which might have been missed - flies can crawl up their bottoms ) and I would also want his teeth checking and a thorough abdominal exam. I would suggest that if he is still not eating the likelihood is that he is in pain somewhere. He could have a gut slow -down or obstruction, dental spurs of fly strike complications? A whole week not eating properly is not good. I would want him given pain relief, fluids under the skin, and if no obstruction found then some gut motility drugs as well if he's not passing droppings properly. I would also want to be syringe feeding him to keep his tummy moving along if he is not self-eating.
If he is on oral antibiotics I would also want him on probiotics. Something like fibreplex or avipro.
If you are struggling to medicate and/or syringe feed or oral fluids him then I would suggest that he may need admitting for some intensive care dependent on how self-sufficient he is eating/drinking. Keeping his fluids and food intake up is important. Pain relief for a bun not eating is essential - but the cause of the pain or stress needs to be identified as well.
Good luck and I hope he feels better soon.

p.s. if he had a water infection such as cystitis then I would expect him to be dribbling his urine, perhaps running a temperature? Is he warm or cold? Is he passing urine? straining? is he hopping around or sitting huddled in a corner? I'm worried he will need a vet tonight.
Also, buns that eat cardboard/wall paper etc tend to be craving fibre - often due to gut motility issues or dental pain.....I would want both of these checking out by a rabbit savy vet. Does he have access to fresh hay?

hey thanks for the advice,
he has got constant access to fresh hay, and is happily hoping around although will have a rest for a bit before exploring again.
he will eat but quite small amounts, a few spinach leaves, a bit of hay, and at the moment he has one of those nut and seed sticks hanging from the top of his cage, as soon as i put it in their he was straight for it having a nibble, usually he will eat it within a few hours but hes only nibbled the very end of it.

he is drinking for himself and ive just given a fresh handful of spinach leaves which he ate all by himself.

When he went back to the vets he did have an under the skin injection (at the back of the neck) and also they gave me the fiberflex but he's had all of this now but still some of the antibiotics left.

I don't think he is dribling wee, hes not going to the litterbox as often but his poos are quite small which the vets did say its because he's not eating a lot.

He really does look fine, and he's being his cheeky self. I've not heard any teeth grinding or anything. He's neither hot or cold, just generally warm how he usually is.

the vets said give it a week on the antibiotics and he should pick up if not then he will need to go for more check ups and x/rays.

I personally wouldn't leave it another week before a check up. I think you may need a more rabbit-savy vet. Small dropping and being off food is usually an indication of perhaps low-grade pain (perhaps dental? has he had his teeth checked?) or stress causing ileus. I really would remove the seed and honey stick. Rabbits are hind-gut digestors and sugar/honey is just not needed in their diet and can really upset the caecal bacteria....this in itself can cause gastric slowdown - ileus. Seeds as well are a risk of impaction in rabbits.
If your bun has small droppings and is just not eating properly then I would personally want him thoroughly examined by a rabbit-savy vet tomorrow morning at the latest.
In the meantime avoid any sugary starchy foods and encourage him to eat hay and fresh leaves/veggies etc (as long as he is used to them) to increase his fibre and fluid intake in order to maintain his gut motility until he sees a vet.
One injection under the skin is unlikely to be sub-cut fluids - these tend to be given in normallly several locations to spread fluid around under the skin. I expect your bun also needs some pain relief. You need to know why he is off his food and his tummy is slowing down - in my opinion this can not wait a week.

p.s spinach is very high in calcium and oxalates - not ideal for a bun with a suspected UTI or sludgy bladder.